Labrador's Reaction to Mom's Hiccups Shown in Hilarious Clip: 'Zoomie Mode'

A dog called Sully has left the internet in stitches after his owner shared a video of his reaction to her having hiccups in front of him for the first time.

In the viral post shared on TikTok on Monday under the username @sullytheblacklab, the black Labrador can be seen worrying for his mom's life after she starts having hiccups. The dog starts running around their living room, jumping from his bed to the sofa and back and on top of his mom. Nothing she says can seem to calm him down.

A caption along with the post reads: "My hiccups sent my labrador into zoomie mode." His owner can be heard reassuring him: "Relax, it's ok. Lay down." She adds: "First time I've ever had hiccups in front of him."

The labrador's owner told Newsweek: "As you saw, Sully had a visceral reaction to my hiccups the other day. We were sitting on the couch watching TV and cuddling when I took a sip of my water wrong and accidentally gave myself the hiccups. I knew from the way he cocked his head immediately that he was startled, so I pulled out my phone to capture the moment.

"Sully is no stranger to hiccups himself—he gets them occasionally and usually comes to sit in my lap with sad eyes until they're gone—but this was the first time he witnessed ME having the hiccups," the owner said.

"As you can see in the video, I did my best to explain to him that I was alright and there was no need for concern, but the hiccups initiated full-on zoomies. Ordinarily, when he does this, I usually let him outside to zoom, but I was trying to use this as a teaching moment and train him to know that hiccups weren't a big deal.

"A lot of people have asked why I 'didn't just let him zoom,' but the reality is 70 pounds at his speed can do a lot of damage and we have some people in our life that can't afford to be taken out mid-zoomie," they said. "I adore his silly moments and that's why I share them, but he is under two years old and still very much learning."

It's not just humans who hiccup. The All Creatures Great and Small Animal Hospital in New Jersey says that hiccups are completely natural in dogs and should not be taken too seriously.

"You should take your dog to the vet if he gets hiccups for more than a few hours, or if they shift to a wheezing sound that causes irregular or difficult breathing. Hiccups that last an hour or more can indicate a variety of health problems," the ACGAS website says.

The hospital also says that scaring your pup will not make things better—it will most likely irritate your dog more than the hiccup itself. There are other methods you can try instead, including feeding your dog smaller portions so they are not eating so fast; getting your dog to lie on his back and giving them a good stomach rub, which helps the hiccups go away; and giving them water, just like humans.

The video quickly went viral on social media. It has so far received over 545,000 views and more than 78,000 likes on TikTok.

One user, Kim, commented: "Hiccups create zoomies, makes since to me." And seanmacfit posted: "Who knew zoomies were the long lost cure for hiccups! Thanks Sully." Elizabeth Pepper added: "He's trying to scare them out of you, don't you know?"

Another user, Kitkat1, commented: "The look on his face when he heard the hiccup." And TikToker Labradorer added: "When Mom calls you 'Sullivan,' you're in trouble!!"

Update 08/24/23, 9:52 a.m. ET: This article was updated with new photos and comment from Sully's owner.

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